‘A lot of thought has went into it’ – All-Ireland winner Niall Grimley steps away from Armagh panelAll-Ireland winner Niall Grimley hasn’t closed the door entirely on his inter-county career but, for the time being, has revealed he has stepped away from the Armagh panel.
Who could quickly pinpoint and extract Mr Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores? At his press conference Mr Trump said the US needed to be “surrounded by safe, secure countries”. Mr Trump barely mentioned the restoring of democracy to Venezuela or the war on drugs, ostensibly the motives for the apprehension of Mr Maduro. Even as they cheer on his takedown of Mr Maduro, Mr Trump’s ideological stable mates in Latin America will be nervous about such a naked display of self-interested power. [ Maduro in custody at New York detention centre as Trump says US will run VenezuelaOpens in new window ]
One of the reasons that politicians are so obsessed with constituency work is that you need so few votes – by international standards – to get elected. Less focus on constituency work would enable more time for work on policy, on committees and for thinking about how to solve the country’s problems and prepare it for the future. If they reward politicians who spend all their time on constituency work, then that’s what politicians will do. Make fiscal rules binding on governmentMinister for Finance Simon Harris unveiled the latest medium-term fiscal framework before Christmas. Of course, because of pressure from voters, politicians find it hard to discipline themselves.
Irish parents have chosen more than 1,000 different first names each for boys and girls since 1964. By 1924, the selection of boys’ names remained narrow, with 80 per cent of births sharing just 21 names, compared to 62 names for girls born that year. However, Irish names are much more common today, though the popularity of individual names has varied greatly from one year to the next. In 1874, Mary, Margaret, Bridget and Catherine were the most popular girls’ names. While Sean and Liam have become well known names internationally, other Irish names can cause difficulty for people living abroad – being called Oisín or Saidhbh can pose a problem in placing your Starbucks order.
Mohammed, aged six, is one of 19 children who have been evacuated from Gaza to receive treatment in Ireland since December 2024. His mother Buchra Abdul-Bari said her family moved from Gaza City to Rafah, and then on to Khan Yunis in southern Gaza in 2024. She ripped her shirt to wrap around her husband’s leg when her son Mohammed called to her. It was after three months in Egypt that she was offered treatment for her son in Ireland. Three waves of evacuations of Palestinian children to Ireland have taken place since December 2024, in a programme involving engagement between several Irish and international organisations.
Protesters gather at the Ha'penny Bridge in Dublin following US actions which saw the deposing of the Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. Photograph: Ronan McGreevyApproximately 100 protesters took part in a demonstration in Dublin against US actions to oust the Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. The protesters gathered on the Ha’penny Bridge following overnight events in Venezuela by US Special Forces, which have taken Mr Maduro and his wife to stand trial in the United States. Organiser Céile Varley said she was “horrified” by the bombing of the capital, Caracas, and capture of Mr Maduro. Former Siptu president Jack O’Connor said he was not a supporter of Mr Maduro, but the US actions were a violation of international law.
Exclusive footage, obtained by the Daily Mail, shows revellers blissfully dancing shoulder-to-shoulder at the popular Schatzi bar, in Ishgl, Austria. 'We couldn't believe this was happening days after the tragic event in the ski resort in Switzerland which killed 40 people.' The Schatzi bar, where women in skimpy gingham outfits dance on the bar, is described on the hotel's website as 'one of Ischgl's hottest après-ski locations'. Schatzi Bar operates in full compliance with Austrian fire safety regulations, which are independently inspected on a regular basis. These were four Swiss women aged 16, 21, 22 and 24 and four Swiss men aged 16, two aged 18, and one 21-year-old.
Emergency services attended the scene and the driver of the one of the cars, a man in his 30s, was subsequently pronounced dead. Photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish TimesGardaí have appealed for witnesses after a fatal traffic collision on Saturday evening in which a man died. The collision, which involved two cars and a van, occurred on the Longford Town side of the N4 after the Edgeworthstown Roundabout about 7pm. Emergency services attended the scene and the driver of the one of the cars, a man in his 30s, was subsequently pronounced dead. Anyone with information is asked to contact Granard Garda station on 043 6687 660, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
Scottish Premiership: Celtic 1 (Hyun-jun 19) Rangers 3 (Chermiti 50, 59, Moore 71)Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy has told disgruntled fans that he is “very close” to turning things around at Parkhead despite continuing his nightmare tenure with a 3-1 defeat to Rangers. What I mean is we are really close, really, really close, to turn things around. “The level that we had at certain moments was really, really, really high. But that’s why, in terms of results again, this is why I said that this is the same story. “We all know that and that’s why I said that we are really close to things turning around.
The Fox Cricket's commentary box is usually a sacrosanct area, reserved only for pundits, broadcasters, cricketing legends and television crews. Unless you hold a special pass, access to the commentary box is almost impossible, unless, of course, you are an Australian Prime Minister. 'Johnny Howard just wandered into commentary when you guys were all live,' Fox Cricket broadcaster Mark Howard said to Kerry O'Keefe. Former England skipper Michael Vaughan, who was in the commentary box at the time Howard arrived, later admitted that the ex-Prime Minister was: 'My drinking partner in 2003. 'We won a Test match here [the SCG].
Tánaiste Simon Harris is seen by some officials to be overly concerned with how his messaging is landing in the press. Please don’t stop the musicThe National Concert Hall on Dublin’s Earlsfort Terrace is due a makeover. National Concert Hall at Earlsfort Terrace in Dublin. When that’s done, on to the concert hall – for sure. Sellafield no longer generates power, focusing rather on treating nuclear waste.
I’m very fond of Inch Beach, Kerry, which I closely identify with my second husband, whose parents I knew before I met him. I did, and that’s where I got to know the man who would subsequently become my second husband. It was a test, and if they didn’t say ‘thank you’ to the wait staff, they didn’t get the job. I’m happy quite a lot. When I first went to university, I really wanted to be a theatre director, but I just didn’t have the confidence.
In March 2021 the Taliban stopped heavily pregnant Dr Sorya Ghafoor and her two-year-old son from leaving Kabul. Doyle, O’Reilly and Azim desperately contacted friends, officials and embassies. Ireland is one of only two countries still providing such routes to safety to people who face persecution in Afghanistan. “When the Taliban came, I lost everything,” she says. “I couldn’t talk about it.”Over in Ireland, Azim was grappling with a new country and culture.
In 1783, a man cutting turf in Co Longford found an old woollen coat deep in the bog. In time, the writings of his daughter, Maria Edgeworth, became hugely influential in documenting and explaining Irish life and helped to get an Irish romantic literature up on its feet. Those notes themselves often insinuate historical information via ordinary objects, as in the opening of Maria Edgeworth’s Castle Rackrent (1800), a landmark achievement of Irish romanticism. Forms of coarse cloth were produced across the country, with some regional variations, as part of an 18th-century Irish woollen industry that was largely rural and domestic. Irish Romanticism: a Literary History by Claire Connolly is published by Cambridge University Press.
In 2026, the century-old Mont Blanc Express introduces energy-efficient trains to connect passengers from Geneva to Chamonix via Saint-Gervais. Get there: Aer Lingus and Ryanair fly direct from Dublin to Mallorca, from €80 return. Get there: SunExpress flies from Cork to Antalya twice a week (Tuesdays and Saturdays), starting on May 16th 2026, from €220 return. Get there: Aer Lingus fly direct from Dublin to Las Vegas from €495.87 return. Get there: Air Canada fly direct to Dublin three times a week in the summer season, from €375 return.
