File photograph: Getty ImagesThe High Court has ordered the release of a man who spent about 240 days in prison for contempt after defying a court order for the possession of his home. Mars took possession of the house on a date in July, 2024, following a court order. Following his arrest by court order, Ryan claimed armed gardaí gained access to the property before “brutally” abducting him. Keith Rooney, barrister for Mars, told the judge on Monday that just after lunchtime the sale of the Tipperary property had closed. The judge said he had made it clear he did not want Ryan remaining in prison one night longer than is necessary.

North Staffordshire road now looks like this after council spends £260k on itFinished! View Image Dimsdale Parade West, in Newcastle-under-LymeHighways crews have completed £260,000 works on a North Staffordshire road. Staffordshire County Council has resurfaced Dimsdale Parade West, in Newcastle-under-Lyme, as well as repaired kerbs and ironworks. ‌Councillor Patrick Allen, cabinet support member for highways north, said: “We are pleased to see yet another important highways scheme in the borough finished. These works are part of our wider investment in improving our extensive road network and keeping Staffordshire moving.

The FAI is adamant it can meet the needs of Irish football despite shedding a quarter of its staff. The FAI were unable to provide comparison details, only it came under headings of playing base, players in international football and club football. For instance, they want eight League of Ireland clubs to have their own transition year courses and running within the next four years. “‘Access to clear and consistent player pathways varies across the country’ and that ‘League of Ireland clubs operate with far lower staffing, facilities and commercial capacity than European peers’. When it comes to the blame game, the FAI pointedly surmised: “This is not an effort problem.

Social-media platforms are simply not neutral forums for speech or free speech. This means that freedom of speech on these platforms often becomes secondary to freedom of algorithmic amplification. If some speech is stifled while other speech is amplified that is not an open forum or marketplace for the exchange of ideas. The result is that information systems built in one country can shape political discourse and social values in another. If platforms decide what people see, then these are not neutral platforms or forums for free speech.

They are flanked by a quiet lane with several large houses and on the far side by links to busy roads, including the 2km distance to University Hospital Limerick. This 44-acre site — costing €14m — will be one of Ireland's largest hospital sites; slightly bigger than University Hospital Limerick and comparable to large hospitals in Cork or Galway. Its three options were immediate works at UHL, build a hospital facility near UHL and a new high-level hospital with an emergency department. Could plans to re-locate the Limerick maternity hospital also switch to the new site? I think the collective will is there, there’s cross-party support for this hospital.” He is “hopeful” patient involvement in reforms can continue.

In this episode of Better with Money, we speak to The Irish Times’s Fiona Reddan and the CEO of the Trinity Student Managed Fund, Senan Delargy, about how to get started investing. “But even a dead cat bounces,” she assures a confused Bryn, using the esoteric vernacular of financial traders. “I think the best place to start if you’re going to invest in a single company is if you’re on the Luas or the bus, look around you. Look at what products people are using. If you’d like to get into investing but find the task daunting and overwhelming, be sure to listen to this episode on the player above.

Alongside the National Champion title, the team also won Best Open Flavour for its Pistachio Sorbet and Best Sorbet for its Lemon and Butter Sorbet. Founded in the summer of 2020, Oscar’s Gelato has quickly become a popular fixture in Portobello, drawing on decades of family experience to create its menu. This commitment to quality is said to ensure rich flavours and a smooth, creamy texture that 'sets gelato apart from traditional ice cream'. Read more:Speaking after the win, the Oscar’s Gelato team said they were “absolutely thrilled” to receive the award. Known for its rigorous judging process, the competition celebrates the highest standards of quality, craftsmanship and innovation across the industry.

Sir, – In his letter (“China and Irish politicians visiting Taiwan”, March 7th), China’s ambassador to Ireland takes the opportunity to dictate to the Irish people and our elected representatives what to think about Taiwan, which they call “China’s Taiwan Province”. He maintains that the Communist Party of China (CCP) is the sole political authority of both the People’s Republic of China and of Taiwan. The political facts on the ground indicate that the people of Taiwan elect their own government, and it is independent, by choice. Taiwan today operates as a free and open democracy, with its own elected government, military, currency and passport. Both Taiwan and Ireland have experienced periods of foreign rule in their histories – yet today both stand as independent democracies.

Now, one year later to the day, that same US president has unleashed an unwarranted and unlawful war against Iran. The bombing of a girls’ primary school killing almost 200 young people demonstrates that international humanitarian law means nothing and offers no protection. The billions of dollars spent on weaponry that promise pinpoint precision are a wasteful disgrace in the wake of this atrocity. The Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, is determined to go to the White House for the ceremonial St Patrick’s Day event. It appears that political survival and appeasement of a bully is the modus operandi of the head of the Irish Government.

It comes as little surprise that new analysis from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) concludes that Ireland is behind target in reducing emissions from households. This is in line with other areas where emissions targets are also not being met, notably transport. One is encouraging some households to switch from home heating oil to natural gas or even liquefied natural gas (LNG), which are less polluting. A third is increasing the use of ways to align demand better with renewable supply and greater use of “smart” controls. The underlying message is that cutting household emissions is moving too slowly and more needs to be done.

A pair of masked men were caught on a family's Ring doorbell as they tried to break into their home in the early hours last week. The 42-year-old said when his wife opened the Ring app they saw one of the men covering the camera and he immediately ran downstairs to confront the pair. After the doorbell chimed and Mr Parmar's light was turned on upstairs, the men ran off but not before they broke through the door. The Ring camera footage shows Mr Parmar coming through the door and shouting seconds after the pair left, while appearing to wield a baseball bat. Mr Parmar and his family have lived in West Wickham for six years - he said nothing like this had happened before and burglaries and break-ins were 'not common in the area'.

The agency has been tracking the Van Allen Probe A and predicts it will reenter the atmosphere at around 7.45pm ET, though the exact timing could vary by up to 24 hours. 'The Van Allen Probes A and B launched on August 30, 2012, and gathered unprecedented data on Earth’s two permanent radiation belts, named for scientist James Van Allen, for almost seven years,' NASA shared in a press release. 'Data from NASA’s Van Allen Probes mission still plays an important role in understanding space weather and its effects,' said NASA. 'By observing these dynamic regions, the Van Allen Probes contributed to improving forecasts of space weather events and their potential consequences.' Van Allen Probe B is not expected to re-enter before 2030.

The number of people with health insurance has gone up despite a recent spate of price rises. The average adult premium is now €1,902, according to the regulator, the Health Insurance Authority (HIA). HIA executives said the private health insurance market is exhibiting what it describes as continued steady growth. At the end of last December some 2.55 million people in Ireland held private health insurance. It was a rise of 1.2pc year‑on‑year, despite an average price increase of 9pc through the course of the year.

Family-run Edinburgh ice cream shop crowned best in the UK in national awards'We're absolutely thrilled''This motivates us to keep innovating and creating flavours' (Image: Google Maps)An Edinburgh ice cream shop has been crowned as the best in the UK. Oscar's Gelato in Portobello was the big winner at the Golden Scoop Awards, which were held on March 5. ‌The Golden Scoop Awards have a history dating back eight decades and are hosted by the Ice Cream Alliance, the UK and Ireland's only trade body focused on the growth and success of the ice cream industry. The post read: "We're incredibly proud to announce that Oscar's Gelato has been crowned National Champion at the Golden Scoop Awards 2026! A special thank you to the @icecreamuk for organising the Golden Scoop Awards and recognising excellence across the ice cream industry.

A police staff member has been spared jail after being caught with nearly 500 child sex abuse images. Phil Joseph, 28, from Heathfield, East Sussex, was in possession of some 421 indecent images of children upon his arrest in September 2024. Joseph was charged with one count of distributing indecent images of children and three counts of possessing indecent images of children. But the former police staff member was spared jail when he appeared at Hove Trial Centre for sentencing on February 10. Joseph came to the attention of Sussex Police for suspicious online activity, with searches of his devices eventually revealing his cache of images.