Photograph: Paul Faith/AFP via Getty ImagesMicheál Martin and Keir Starmer met at a grandiosely titled and neurotically managed “Summit” meeting in Cork this week. For this two-day contemplative retreat, the twin peaklets of M and S were rolled out in a few short bursts for the cameras at the flattest summit in the history of political hillocks. “We’re delayed because of Keir Starmer. This may have been the second UKIS Summit, but the photographers had to tell them to shake hands. Keir Starmer legged it, leaving the Irish side to disclose what happened.

But it also means there are fewer smaller second-hand homes suitable for first-time buyers coming on the market. These smaller homes can also be attractive for those wishing to trade down. The BPFI figures show that mortgage drawdowns for people buying second-hand homes are also on the decline, with the mortgage market dominated by first-time buyers. With younger couples choosing to invest and older people seeing limited options to trade down, there is a vicious circle in the second-hand market. The most serious downstream consequence is the ongoing lack of supply for first-time buyers.

Cliff House Hotel seems to defy gravity, clinging to a cliff on the south side of Ardmore Bay, the seaside boutique hotel features an intimate Irish destination spa as well as a one Michelin-star restaurant. Cliff House Hotel is a proud member of Ireland’s Blue Book a collection of over 65 Irish country house hotels, manors, castles, and restaurants located throughout the island of Ireland. You can play the quiz here. Terms & Conditions

So, this means the world to me.” Who was choked up when they spoke to Tony O’Donoghue of RTÉ in 2025?</h3><ul><li>Newly elected President Catherine Connolly</li><li>Newly elected Taoiseach Micheál Martin</li><li>Newly elected Pope Leo XIV</li><li>Newly adored soccer hero Troy Parrott</li></ul></section><section data-block="SingleChoice"><h3>“It was one of the greatest cultural disasters ever to befall any country, and we did it to ourselves.” What was the archivist Catriona Crowe lamenting back in 2020?</h3><ul><li>The Great Famine</li><li>Mrs Brown’s Boys</li><li>The decline of the Irish language</li><li>The destruction of the Public Record Office of Ireland at the Four Courts in Dublin during the Civil War</li></ul></section><section data-block="SingleChoice"><h3>On their 2014 album Live in Dublin, who asked the audience: “Are you humouring me? If these are the crumbs of compassion that you offer to the elderly, I am grateful?”</h3><ul><li>Bob Dylan</li><li>Leonard Cohen</li><li>Aretha Franklin</li><li>Tony Bennett</li></ul></section><section data-block="SingleChoice"><h3>In 1954, which controversial Irish-American politician’s career effectively ended when they were asked: “Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? "</h3><ul><li>Richard J Daley</li><li>Joseph P Kennedy</li><li>Joseph McCarthy</li><li>Tip O’Neill</li></ul></section><section data-block="SingleChoice"><h3>“This is an abuse of the liturgy. It's sacrilegious … Mass is not for the purpose they used it for.” In 2023, what did Fr Paddy McCafferty of Belfast object to?</h3><ul><li>Graham Norton’s wedding</li><li>Conor McGregor’s Baptism</li><li>Shane MacGowan’s funeral</li><li>Bono’s bar mitzvah</li></ul></section><section data-block="SingleChoice"><h3>In which Oscar-nominated 2025 film did Jack O’Connell lead the patrons of a juke joint singing The Rocky Road to Dublin?</h3><ul><li>F1</li><li>Sinners</li><li>Train Dreams</li><li>Marty Supreme</li></ul></section><section data-block="SingleChoice"><h3>Which of the following Irish stars does NOT feature in Taylor Swift’s 2026 Opalite video?</h3><ul><li>Domhnall Gleeson</li><li>Cillian Murphy</li><li>Graham Norton</li><li>Saoirse Ronan</li></ul></section><section data-block="SingleChoice"><h3>In the 1952 film The Quiet Man, which Irish-Australian folk ballad do local bar patrons sing when John Wayne arrives to Innisfree?</h3><ul><li>The Wild Colonial Boy</li><li>South Australia</li><li>Waltzing Matilda</li><li>Van Diemen’s Land</li></ul></section><section data-block="SingleChoice"><h3>The award-winning Irish actor Jessie Buckley first came to public attention when she appeared on which BBC talent show in 2008?</h3><ul><li>The Voice UK</li><li>Fame Academy</li><li>The X Factor</li><li>I’d Do Anything</li></ul></section><section data-block="SingleChoice"><h3>In which Martin Scorsese movie does the renowned Irish musician Finbar Furey cameo as Satan’s Circus Singer?</h3><ul><li>Raging Bull</li><li>Goodfellas</li><li>Gangs of New York</li><li>The Age of Innocence</li></ul></section><section data-block="SingleChoice"><h3>Who was the first Irish-born author to win the Booker Prize?</h3><ul><li>Iris Murdoch</li><li>John Banville</li><li> Anne Enright</li><li>Anna Burns</li></ul></section><section data-block="SingleChoice"><h3>Complete the title of Manchán Magan’s final book: Ninety-Nine Words for Rain (and One for _____)</h3><ul><li>Sleet</li><li>Snow</li><li>Hail</li><li>Sun</li></ul></section><section data-block="SingleChoice"><h3>In James Joyce’s novel Ulysses, when Leopold Bloom stands at a shop window waiting for a tram to pass so he can break wind, what text does he pretend to read?</h3><ul><li>The Communist Manifesto</li><li>Bhagavad Gita</li><li>Robert Emmet’s speech from the dock</li><li>Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen</li></ul></section><section data-block="SingleChoice"><h3>According to the title of a 1965 novel by Edna O’Brien, which is a “wicked month”?</h3><ul><li>April</li><li>June</li><li>August</li><li>October</li></ul></section><section data-block="SingleChoice"><h3>What did the 16th century English poet Edmund Spenser propose as a solution to his government’s problems in Ireland?</h3><ul><li>Limited self-government for the Irish</li><li>Dual monarchy</li><li>The redistribution of Irish land</li><li>A genocide of the Irish people</li></ul></section><section data-block="SingleChoice"><h3>“Saints be praised!” Which popular American children’s TV show from the 1960s featured a stage-Irish police man named Chief O’Hara?</h3><ul><li>Batman</li><li>Get Smart</li><li>The Monkees</li><li>I Dream of Jeannie</li></ul></section><section data-block="SingleChoice"><h3>The forthcoming Netflix series Grown Ups, starring Adrian Dunbar and Aisling Bea, is based on an original novel by which writer?</h3><ul><li>Cecelia Ahern</li><li>Maeve Binchy</li><li>Marian Keyes</li><li>Sheila O’Flanagan</li></ul></section><section data-block="SingleChoice"><h3>On The Late Late Show in 1999,

I wrote The Shortest History of England (2020) and The Shortest History of Germany (2017) and both werebest-sellerss. So why, demanded my Irish friends, why the hell throw yourself the ultimate hospital pass? They began going Irish almost as soon as they got here. It was my absolute last chance: I applied, got shortlisted, told my Irish friends I was coming over again, and was naturally offered a bed. The Shortest History of Ireland by James Hawes is published by Old Street Publishing

This week, Heathers: The Musical star Kate Rockwell launched a frustrated tirade at drunken audience members and rowdy superfans. The former EastEnders actress there is a 'theatre etiquette' that people have forgot about. She said on GMB: 'There's a theatre etiquette which is no longer there really anymore because people would never have done that even ten years ago. 'Thinks like Mama Mia and shows like that, they have an ending that you can get up and sing and dance and I think that's fantastic. Heathers: The Musical star Kate is the latest star to rage over the behaviour of viewers on Instagram as she discussed appropriate theatre etiquette.

An Arkansas girl who was passed through several foster homes has finally found her happy ending after being adopted by her kind-hearted teacher. At just eight years old, Mary McClelland had already been through more than most can imagine in a lifetime. But as the school year drew to a close in May 2021, McClelland learned that another family had planned to adopt Mary. ‘She just looked up and said, “Wait, I’m getting adopted?”’ McClelland recalled. The story has since drawn comparisons to Miss Honey, the gentle teacher in Matilda who ultimately adopts the young girl she once taught.

We're excited to begin working with the Manchester United forward as he continues his journey in the game. I think because he's called Rooney, he'll have millions of followers immediately. Man Utd boss Michael Carrick responds after Paul Scholes criticism got personal READ MORE :Man Utd wonderkid Kai Rooney signs major deal just like his dad Wayne Rooney READ MORE :FOLLOW OUR MAN UTD FB PAGE! "His father is brilliantly reinventing himself as a TV pundit, his mother is much-loved and he's got talent, he wouldn't be playing for Man United because of his surname, he's playing for Man United because of his talent." Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football.

The Islamic Republic knows it cannot overcome the military might of the US and Israel and has adopted a strategy of attrition. The regime spent much of the time since the 12-day war in June preparing for such a scenario and has decentralised decision-making structures. Israel continues to be targeted by sophisticated Iranian cluster missiles that send a spray of high explosives on to its cities. For Iran’s theocratic rulers, victory means surviving the war and retaining power, no matter the cost to the country. As the war enters its third week, the policy of attrition seems to be working.

Video:Tourists are lining up to film rooftop videos in Rocinha, Rio de Janeiro's largest favela, posing for drones as the clips spread across social media. But the trend has sparked debate, with critics saying it glamourises poverty and crime.

Commuters are experiencing significant delays to train services due to an earlier issue that saw services suspended to and from Dublin’s Heuston Station. Shortly after 3.20pm on Friday, Irish Rail said services between Clondalkin and Heuston were suspended, and no services were expected to operate between the two stations until the issue was rectified. Irish Rail commuter train. Irish Rail have said delays are “expected to ease” through the evening as services are brought back on schedule. “This is due to an earlier signalling issue between Clondalkin-Heuston, combined with a train failure at Park West.”

Murder accused told gardaí that mother of two was his ‘soul mate’ and he was now ‘replaying a nightmare’Adam Corcoran (31) has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Daena Walsh (27) at their Cork flat in August 2024Victim Daena WalshRalph Riegel Yesterday at 18:47A man who denies the murder of a mother of two found with catastrophic stab injuries in a burning apartment told gardaí he was “replaying a nightmare” after the death of his “soul mate” and “best friend”.

For some, Mother’s Day is joyful – for others, it can be deeply difficult. From loss to love and longing, 10 Irish women reflect on their unique journeyMother’s Day is advertised as being joyful, but I think this is a topic that needs some conversation. There is a darker, sadder side that I experienced along with countless other women. If you’re trying to become a mum or are dealing with infertility or miscarriage or have experienced a stillbirth, it’s a very difficult day.

President Donald Trump may be one step closer to making Pluto great again. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman endorsed the idea of Trump making Pluto a planet again in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail at the John F Kennedy Space Center in Florida. ‘I 100% support President Trump making Pluto great again,’ Isaacman said. ‘I think we owe it to everyone from Kansas and all their great contributions to astronomy and aerospace to rightfully restore that discovery to a planet,’ Isaacman said. ‘President Trump, please do one thing for us: Make Pluto Planetary Again,’ he wrote on social media in February.

Man Utd news: JJ Gabriel ban explained by Michael Carrick, wonderkid speaks out on bossMirror Football brings you the latest round-up of news involving Manchester UnitedView 2 Images JJ Gabriel is one of Manchester United's most talented youngsters (Image: Getty)Michael Carrick has been keeping his eye on two Manchester United youngsters ahead of an important weekend of Premier League action. Latest United news and more on our dedicated Facebook pageJJ Gabriel banCarrick has explained that United wonderkid JJ Gabriel is not allowed to play for the first-team this season. Man Utd boss Michael Carrick responds after Paul Scholes criticism got personal READ MORE :Man Utd triple injury update drops with Michael Carrick delighted over star's return READ MORE :That’s because he was aged just 14 when the 2025/26 campaign began. Premier League rules only allow a 15-year-old to play as long as they are 15 by August 31 of the season in question. The Premier League isn't easy.